Swimmer Profile – Martin Banks
Congratulations to Martin Banks (QUQ), our newly elected Director of Recording.
Martin has been involved with Masters Swimming Qld since joining in 2011. He started the University of Qld Masters club and built it into one of the country’s strongest clubs. Martin handed the reigns over to new leadership and then made the move to The Swim Academy Masters Club (TSA Masters) and is working to strengthen a group boasting a wealth of adult swimming talent. Martin has extensive experience with the development, and running of swim meets, the use and administration of entry management systems and a thorough knowledge of the operations of Masters Swimming Qld. In 2024 he will begin his 5th year of service as a Director on the MSQ BMB.
He has been a competitive swimmer since his junior years, and until recently enjoyed competing at Swimming Australia meets in addition to Masters’ meets. Martin has worked for over 30 years in the IT industry and is currently with the Queensland Department of Education. He leads a team of system integration specialists developing data/information interfaces. He specialises in systems analysis, design, information management and application development.
Swimming, fitness and sport are a passion of mine, and I have been a swimmer for the majority of my life. I have been a Masters swimmer since 2011 and a member of the University of Queensland Masters Swimming Club (QUQ) since its inception in 2013, until early 2024 when joining the Swim Academy Masters Club. My club swimming started later in life at 13 as a junior on the Gold Coast representing a number of clubs. I competed through to age 26 in Brisbane at a national club and university level. I loved competition, bettering my times and working very hard in a time where the average training session exceeded 10km.
I rediscovered swimming while watching my very young son Ethan starting his first mini-squad session. I joined the local school pool adult fitness squad and knew I was home. The floods moved me on from that squad and I found my way to the UQ pool as it reopened in 2012, and soon after worked with coaching staff to develop the QUQ club. I handed the reigns over to new leadership and soon after made the move to the TSA Masters Club where I am working with our coaches and existing members to strengthen a group boasting a wealth of adult swimming talent.
My weekly routine includes pool training five morning at Stuartholme School pool, gym sessions three mornings at UQ, plus a small amount of cycling to and from work. The only things that hold me back, like everyone, are aging knees and shoulders that flare up here and there.
Even after all these years, my passion is still to compete. I look for meets at all levels of swimming, including National and International Masters level meets, and on occasion a Swimming Australia (SwimAus) meet. I have qualified to swim at Brisbane and Queensland level meets for the past five years, entering various Preparation, Sprint and Short Course events. I love the challenge of competing with those in my age group, but also those of similar pace regardless of age. In 2018 I swam in 18 meets at all levels. I want to be an example to show Masters Swimmers that they can also swim at SwimAus meets.
My best Masters swimming achievements:
- Travelling to Japan with an awesome team and a great group of Aussies for the World Aquatics Masters World Championships, bringing back a relay gold and silver medal, as well as an individual bronze in the 200m Backstroke
- Developing the UQ Masters club and the UQ Sprint Meets
- Breaking 17 Australian records in the 50-54 age group
- Breaking 10 Australian records so far in the 55-59 age group
- To date breaking 88 Queensland individual records in all age groups 45-59
- Being apart of many high achieving relay teams – all whilst always having so much fun
- Achieving 10 individual Fina/World Aquatics World Top 10 rankings
- Working to introduce and improve numerous aspects of MSQ competition with the aim to be closer aligned with other swimming bodies, and serve the needs of competitive swimmers
- Developing a number of MSQ championship meets, implementing new aspects not previously utilised
- Working with Masters Swimming Australia (MSA) and SwimAus on introducing and improving Swim Central and MSA rules
- Swimming side-by-side with my son Ethan as he mixes both elite and Masters swimming competition, and of course doing all this with my wonderful wife Christina
- Meeting, competing with and against the many wonderful people around Queensland and across the country, sharing a love for fitness and swimming, and healthy competition. Many of these people will be friends for life!
I do not really have a favourite event or distance. I am probably better known for my backstroke and medley swimming, but if I am fit enough, one of my favourite events/results has been the 100 fly with a PB of 1:02 swum at Brisbane Short Course Championships, and a 27 for 50 fly at the Queensland Short Course Championships – both at the age of 50. I always thought I was a sprinter but I am often told that I am a 200m swimmer – sigh… and from time to time I attempt to embrace the horror. I have also been known to throw in a sneaky breaststroke race. In my current age group, my knee and shoulder issues are restricting me to freestyle and backstroke events. I love short course! Give me a short course meet any day!
I am looking to use this role in an attempt to transform the Recording and Systems functions together and improve our Interclub and major meets to being the best in the country. MSQ has some very good systems and programs in place and I want to see them consolidated and extended. This will contribute to the improvement of meets and results, and the user experience for our clubs and swimmers. My hands-on swimming experience at and around meets, the relationships I have built with swimmers, officials, coaches and organisations of all levels, and my analytical and creative approaches from my work in IT systems, projects and management will be key in reaching all my goals for this role.
